Rapid industrial development during last decades has enormously increased the numbers of electronic equipment such as computation & communication devices, machinery, storage and archiving facilities, employed by governmental authorities, national security entities, industrial and commercial organizations, small businesses, and individuals. The amounts of sensitive, confidential or classified information processed and stored on electronic devices have increased accordingly.
At the same time, processing power has been improved, based on the availability of more sophisticated algorithms and on faster microprocessors reachable at ever decreasing prices.
While encryption methods for protecting confidential information processed and saved in the memories of electronic devices are undergoing continuous improvement, methods for retrieving data through eavesdropping, hacking and wiretapping are also evolving at ever increasing pace, taking advantage of the same improved computation and processing abilities.
One known eavesdropping method is by wiretapping power supply lines through which target electronic equipment is energized. Since changes in electronic state of the equipment involve corresponding changes in energy consumption, it is possible to retrieve information of interest processed or displayed on target equipment, by analyzing and decoding signals appearing on its power supply lines in correlation with power consumption of internal processes.
Method and equipment have been developed in order to protect information against wiretapping through power lines. These are generally based on improving filtration and on providing electronic noise on power lines, thereby complicating possible retrieval of valuable information from the lines. However, as mentioned above, hacking and wiretapping methods are continuously improved, such that even distorted, encrypted or filtered information associated with internal processes appearing on a power line is potentially retrievable by sufficiently sensitive and sophisticated equipment.
Elimination of data associated with internal processes of electronic equipment from power supply lines may be achieved by battery operated equipment, i.e. by simply giving up the use of power supply lines as means for energizing electronic equipment in real time. However this solution involves significant increase in expenses and in weight, while being incompatible with most existing equipment.
Method and a device are thus required which will eliminate data associated with internal processes of electronic equipment from power lines, in a cost effective manner.